Newsbreak

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - The DA in KwaZulu-Natal have lambasted the provincial education department for paying inflated prices for personal protective equipment or PPEs. DA Spokesperson on Education in KZN, Imran Keeka is calling on MEC Kwazi Mshengu to substantiate why such exorbitant amounts were paid. Keeka has also accused the procurement process...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - The mother of six-year-old girl, whose body was found in a sugarcane field yesterday, has been charged with her murder. She was reported missing on Sunday, after her mother claimed the child was snatched out of her vehicle. The mother, 42-year-old Fungai Nyamadzawo, has been remanded into custody. KwaZulu-Natal police spokespe...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Hoosen Ebrahim - The Organization Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has pleaded to Eskom CEO - André de Ruyter to investigate all improper transactions at the Power Utility and prosecute those that are implicated. This comes as the utility was responding to recent speculation about a R5bn payment it had mistakenly made to Tegeta Exploration & Resources...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Constitutional Court expert Prof. Pierre de Vos says the Pretoria High Court ruling that Alert Level 4 and 3 of lockdown is unconstitutional will likely be appealed based on the argument of that almost all regulations were irrational. The ruling came after Activist, Reyno De Beer and his his organization - called the Lib...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - KwaZulu-Natal schools could be set for yet another delay in its re-opening, after millions of rand's worth of personal protective equipment went missing. Schools across the country are scheduled to re-open on Monday the 8th of June. The large quantities of PPEs disappeared in the Umlazi, Pinetown and Zululand districts. KZN Edu...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Shanell Daniel - The St. Giles Association for the Handicapped is celebrating it's 68th year and hope to continue to grow for years to come, despite the lock-down leaving the organisation in financial difficulty. Fundraising Manager - Brenda Craig, says the anniversary was celebrated in an usual fashion due to COVID-19, however further celebrat...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - The Department of Home Affairs has announced the resumption of marriage services and will receive late birth registrations under lockdown level 3. However, spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs - Siya Qoza, says these will only take place via strict appointment. Qoza says, couples are requested to visit their nearest offic...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo and Matthew Veeran - South African fisher-folk can finally breathe a sigh of relief - following the announcement that recreational fishing is now permitted under lockdown level three. The announcement was confirmed by Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy earlier this week. The amended regulations excludes c...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Education experts have proposed the extension of the academic year and a delayed start to 2021. This as the country grapples to fight the impact of the coronavirus. Director of the African Centre for Scholarship - Prof. Sarah Howie says that the prolonged start to the new year across all learning institutions is a workable solu...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Activist, Reyno De Beer, has welcomed the High Court in Pretoria's declaration that South African lockdown regulations are unconstitutional and invalid - saying he believes government was trampling on the rights of ordinary people. The court has suspended the ruling for two weeks - meaning that level 3 regulations remain in for...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department is aiming at employing an additional 3,000 health care workers to deal with the expected increase in COVID-19 cases as the national lockdown is being eased. Health MEC - Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu - has visited the Clairwood Hospital in the south of the Durban metro where 159 beds in the 275 bed...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Rachel Vadi - While many schools in the public sector scramble to put safety measures in place before the proposed opening on the 8th of June, it was back to PRIVATE schools for thousands of learners who fall under the banner of The National Alliance of Independent School Association (NAISA). Secretary-general of NAISA, Ebrahim Ansur says ALMOS...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel and Shanell Daniel - Not knowing first-hand the full impact of the coronavirus and it's potential effects has left many parents undecided on whether or not to send their children back to school. This follows the announcement made by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga that Grade's 7 and 12's will only return on the...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) has pleaded with government to allow sit-ins at recognised establishments - who follow strict measures against the spread of COVID-19. They say massive job losses are "inevitable within the industry" - as sit-in dining remains prohibited under alert level 3 of the lockdown. Over...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - Natal Sardines have been netted along the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal yesterday and netters can expect more pockets to pop up close to the beaches. The silvery delicacies - often fried with masala and served hot with butter bread or dhall and rice - is unique to the coastline during winter. Social media is abuzz with vi...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - June is National Blood Donor Month and the South Africa National Blood Service (SANBS) has partnered with Facebook to encourage people to donate blood. World Blood Donor Day is commemorated annually on the 14th of June. People over the age of 18 will have the option to sign up as blood donors on the Facebook website or mobile a...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has acknowledged the efforts by Mauritius in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The island nation is actively preparing to welcome back tourists and visitors in the near future as travel bans are eased worldwide. Mauritius has no new active coronavirus cases. All 322 people...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producers Tashlan Naidoo and Shanell Daniel - Not knowing first-hand the full impact of the coronavirus and it's potential effects has left many parents undecided on whether or not to send their children back to school. This follows the announcement made by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga that Grade's 7 and 12's will only return on the 8th o...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Petrol prices are set to increase dramatically from midnight tonight. The Energy Department said that the retail price of all grades of petrol would increase by R1.18 cents per litre. Diesel will rise by 22 cents. There have been significant fuel price reductions over the past few months due to a plummet in oil prices. This was...

SABC News and Current Affairs — Snaking queues have formed at liquor outlets in Chatsworth, south of Durban. Hundreds of people braved the cold since the early hours of this morning to purchase alcohol, fearing that they may not get another chance soon. Government has allowed for outlets to sell alcohol -- only for takeaway -- from Monday to Thursday between 9am to 5pm under Level 3 of the lockdow...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Parents wanting to home school their children must apply to the Education Department. This emerged during the Education Briefing by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Parent Association of KZN, Vee Gani says if schools are ready and have proper personal protective Equipment and sanit...

SABC News and Current Affairs — by Newsbreak Producer, Shanell Daniel - More than R1.2 million in foreign currency has been forfeited to the state that was found on a 47 year old man at OR Tambo International Airport. Abdul Qadir Yousuf was arrested in February 2019 at the Airport check-in point by Customs authorities en-route to Dubai. Upon searching his luggage, authorities discovered 68 468-Dol...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - Following "snaking" queues at the shopping mall - while fearing the risk of a COVID-19 infection - may just be a thing of the past. This as a new mobile app, called ShopQ, allows customers - within a set radius - to join a queue from their phone instead of having to stand in one. The customer will receive a notification once i...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The Department of Basic Education announced last night that schools will now re-open on the 8th of June for Grades 7 and 12. Learners were initially scheduled to report back to school this morning. Minister Angie Motshekga is now expected to brief the media later today on the next step forward. Last Friday, teacher unions and n...

SABC News and Current Affairs — By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - The sardines have been spotted in Port Edward, south of KwaZulu-Natal and is soon expected to make its way to the Durban coastline. Last week, large concentrations of sardines, were reportedly seen ignoring the lockdown regulations in the Eastern Cape between East London and Mazeppa Bay. Local fishing expert - Adam Kamder says...